Cycle Lane Along Pershore Road at Priory Road Junction
A significant issue with the new layout at the Pershore Road / Priory Road junction is the two segregated cycle lanes along Pershore Road approaching the junction, as shown in this photo. If someone stays in this cycle lane, rather than joining the shared use pavement, it is because they wish to carry along Pershore Road, but they receive a green light at the same time as the motor traffic to their right. This means that car drivers who want to turn left, across the path of the cycle user, will have a green light at the same time. This is a dangerous arrangement - if I was cycling along Pershore Road and continuing across this junction, I would not use the cycle lane, but rather stay in the general carriageway, to avoid being taken out by left turning cars. In the original consultation, the designs showed that the cycle lanes would receive a green light before the motor traffic, but that did not happen in our observation of the junction. But those few seconds head start would only benefit cycle users already at the stop line, not those who reach junction while the lights are green.
The best immediate solution here would be to fill in this cycle lane with tarmac, taking it up to the height of the pavement, and bring all cycle users on to the shared use pavement. Those who want to continue straight on could then either stay in the general traffic lane, if they are comfortable cycling on Pershore Road, or they could use the staggered pedestrian crossing as a much slower, but safer, alternative.
